“How to Teaching School Words Gooder” Harnessing Academic & Content Language

“Language reflects the…intellectual capacities. Language is a ‘mirror of the mind’.”

(Chomsky, 1972, p.ix)

Kenneth BennionLegacy Junior High - Science (experience in Math, Music, ESL…)

tinyurl.com/DTC9bennion

Follow along!

#1 Describe the cause and effect of this action:

“As the piston moves even farther down, it opens the transfer port which allows the air/fuel mixture that has been compressed in the crankcase to enter the upper part of the cylinder.”

#2 Write and label at least two examples:

“Relative keys are any major scale and natural minor scale that share a key signature. The third note of the minor scale is the first note of the relative major with the same key signature.”

THE HOOK

#3 Discuta la elección de palabras del autor en la estrofa:

“El día que me quieras, los sotos escondidos resonarán arpegios nunca jamás oídos. Éxtasis de tus ojos, todas las primaveras que hubo y habrá en el mundo serán cuando me quieras.”

Today’s Objective:

EACH TEACHER NEEDS TO BECOME A JARGON COACH

“Language development needs to occur in context, and content area learning provides the best context for it to occur. A key challenge is to help content teachers define a new identity for themselves as a language teacher of their discipline.”

(Hakuta, 2011, p.11)

READING COMPREHENSION ☆ WordSift.org for content area texts

“Cloud Spotting” and “Deconstruct--Reconstruct” strategies

EXPLICIT VOCABULARYVisuwords.com and Etymonline.com for word exploration“Spelling Bee” and “Word Wheel” strategies + extras

ACADEMIC WRITING“Read Twice, Write Twice” and “In the Land of Cohesion” strategies

THE PLAN

LEARNING HOW TO READ TO LEARN IS THE BIG GOAL OF EDUCATION

“Reading is central to language development, and it is central to student achievement.”

(Borrero & Bird, 2008, p.89)

“Academic texts that are lexically dense... are cognitively demanding because of the number of content words in each clause. At the same time, such writing is context reduced because it presents ideas in an abstract way, using both nominalization and a passive construction.”

(Cummins, 2000; Freeman, p.277)

WORDSIFT.ORG

WHAT IT DOESCopy-Paste any digital textMakes a word cloud by frequencyAnalyzes grade level readabilityHighlights academic/content words and pulls out example sentences

HELPS TEACHERSSelect appropriate textsScaffold pre-reading activities Highlight academic language

Use sample text MLK ‘I Have a Dream’

#1: Use Redraw button to re-scramble.

#2: Use Settings button to change the number of words displayed.

#3: Hover over the word freedom to discover how many times it was used.

#4: Click on freedom. Scroll down to see it used in context sentences.

Find your own text → Copy-Paste + SiftClick Text View to analyze.

#5: What’s the word count? Avg. sentence length? Avg. grade level?

#6: Use Mark Words dropdown menu, highlight academic vocab (AWL).

#7: Use same menu to highlight relevant content vocab (M&P:___).

WORDSIFT.ORG

❏ Talk Sideways: How else could you use WordSift.org in your class?

Using a word cloud… (whole class, small groups, partners, individually)

BEFORE READING IDEASMake predictions about main point (pic?)List intriguing smaller words (find them?)Ask about rare or new words (Images tab?)

AFTER READING IDEASFine-tune main point (add to picture?)Context sentences for vocab reteach/assessReflect on word choice, summary, questions...

STRATEGY: “CLOUD SPOTTING”

Pick apart academic language and put it back together again.

Sentence → Words → Simplified sentence? Eliminate one still ok?

Compound Sentence → Clauses → How to rearrange?

Paragraph → Sentences → Identify thesis and support? Rearrange?

STRATEGY: “DECONSTRUCT-RECONSTRUCT”

“Thought is not merely expressed in words; it comes into existence through them.”

(Vygotsky, 1986, p.218)

“English is the most irregular of the alphabetic languages. Relationships between sound and symbol, which initially seem obscure, are often situated in the origin of the word.”

(Adoniou, 2014, p.145-146)

USING PROFESSIONAL WORDS

DEEPENS UNDERSTANDING

VISUWORDS.COM“Visual Dictionary & Thesaurus”

Explore word connectionsHover for definitions and examplesClick on a circle to expand the map

ETYMONLINE.COM“Historical Dictionary”

Etymology =study of word origin and meaning

#1: Search for an adjective. Find a few synonyms (orange or blue dotted lines) and any antonyms (bold red line).

#2: Search for a word that has a ‘twin’ (pronounced the same, but has a different meaning).

#3: Search for a classification or category in your content area. See what is associated with it.

#1: Search for a jargon word from your content area. Read origins. Insights?

#2: Search for a general academic word. Read origins. Insights?

#3: Search for a random conversational word. Read origins. Insights?

VISUWORDS.COM ETYMONLINE.COM

❏ Talk Sideways: How else could you or your students use these sites?

STRATEGY: “SPELLING BEE”Word: analyze (Spanish: analizar) Spelling: A-N - A - L-Y-Z-E (British: analyse)Pronunciation: [ ˈanlˌīz ]Part of Speech: verb (noun: analysis)

Definition(s): to look at carefully trying to understand(French: analyser) to take into pieces(lit) determine essence, (chem) reduce to elements

Synonyms: examine, dissect

Make Sentences: group (noun) analyze (verb) data (object) later (time) ?? (noun) analyze (verb) ?? (object) ?? (preposition)

Choose a specific vocabulary word.

Add to your explanation by emphasizingthe meaning of the prefix - root - suffix.

Brainstorm connections with other words that share that base or affix.

Make a visual reminder to display.

STRATEGY: “WORD WHEEL”

Choose an academic word to Google. Need ideas? Explore: List1 - List2

#1: Which definition is most applicable for your class? Is it lacking anything?

#2: Which synonym is your favorite?

#3: Would you use their example sentence or can you do better?

#4: What is the first option for this word translated into Spanish?

#1: Explore this printable list of the 20 most common prefixes and suffixes.

#2: Browse this bigger list. Make a “word wheel” with the words listed. Can you think of a few more to add?

#3: See what you know with these review games for roots (#1 - #2)

#4: Check out Rasinski’s ‘Divide and Conquer’ resources for more ideas.

“SPELLING BEE” “WORD WHEEL”

❏ Talk Sideways: How else do you teach and review vocabulary?

STUDENTS NEED TO WRITE AND REWRITE

OFTEN

“The first recommendation is to provide daily time for students to write.”

(Olson, 2015, p.576)

“Research has shown that traditional approaches to teaching grammar have not been effective in improving students’ speech or writing. However, targeted mini-lessons based on students’ writing are useful. Students can apply this knowledge as they edit their writing.”

(Freeman, Ch.9, p.262)

Good for “medium” writing responses.

Student writes.Teacher reads twice:

1st time for content2nd time for language

Offers at least one improvement for each.Student gets feedback then writes again.

Technology enables more efficient writing, submission, feedback, and revision!

STRATEGY: “READ TWICE, WRITE TWICE”

❏ Talk Sideways: Other ideas for quick writing feedback and revision?

Transition / Signal / Cohesion words

Students write their own silly, creative children’s bedtime story. Signal words are used to enhance the characters and make the plot flow.

Example story? Fill-in-the-blank starter? Content related? One use of each type? (Bigger list of signal words found here.)

STRATEGY: “IN THE

LAND OF COHESION”

The Takeaways:

BECOME A JARGON COACH

FOR YOUR CONTENT!

A STUDENT’S WORDSLET YOU LITERALLY READ THEIR MIND!

ASK YOURSELF 3 QUESTIONS:

☆ What words/phrases will they need to discuss this professionally?

☆ What explanation/tool/activity will help them internalize this language?

☆ What formative check/feedback will help me decide what training is next?

Thanks for your attention!

Feel free to email me: kenbennion@dsdmail.net